GW’S NEWEST ALUMNI – GRADUATING STUDENTS

The George Washington University alumni community welcomed nearly 7,000 new members on Sunday, May 18. Meet a few of the members of the Class of 2008 and hear about their GW experiences and future plans, in their own words.

Ravi Alfreds
Singapore
ESIA MA ’08 (Security Policy Studies), ESIA BA ’06 (International Affairs)
Presidential Administrative Fellow
Member, Pi Kappa Phi
“One ridiculously hot day, my fraternity brothers and I filled up a kiddy pool and put it on the sidewalk in front of our house on 23rd Street and spent most of the afternoon soaking in it. It was amusing to see the reactions from tourists and business people walking past. I have a lot of other favorite moments from going to school at GW: Being able to watch the State of the Union on TV, then run to the White House in time to watch the Presidential Motorcade drive past. Walking into an elevator and being asked by Governor Tom Ridge how to find a certain room. Standing on the roof of 1957 E Street and watching Marine One take off/land.”

Charles Basden
Newark, N.J.
CCAS BA ’08 (American Studies)
President, Black Student Union
Leadership Board, Black Men’s Initiative
“I came to GW after much consideration. It came down to my last two choices between Morehouse College in Atlanta and GW in D.C. Because I’ve come from a predominately African American upbringing the potential to be challenged by new people and surrounding ultimately won out over my desire to be comfortable. I have never regretted my decision! . . . After graduation I will be working for GW as an executive associate of Community Development. It’s a new position created to expand GW’s reach and influence in the wards outside of Northwest D.C. Ultimately, I would like to become a certified city planner. I want to pursue my graduate degree in urban policy and one day run for office back in Newark, N.J., to be the change I want to see.”

Jessica Brown
Tokyo
GWSB BBA ’08 (Marketing and International Business)
Undergraduate Assistant, Business School Career Center
Member, Capitol Advertising (Ad Club)
“When GW was first suggested to me by my high school counselor, it wasn’t in my target region and I didn’t even want to consider it. My parents dragged me to the information session since we were visiting friends in the area. I sat through the session and heard about all the great opportunities students had. By the end, I turned to my mom and said, ‘You are going to make fun of me for the rest of my life for this, but I am going here.’ Let’s just say that she still makes fun of me for it. . . I’ve had so many amazing opportunities. Everything from creating and implementing a marketing campaign for Subaru on campus and then presenting our campaign to the Marketing Director of Subaru, to having a professor arrange for my class to attend the International Advertising Association’s World Congress. It was situations like these that made me smile and say to myself, ‘This is why I came to GW.’”

Maggie Desmond
Waukesha, Wis.
ESIA BA ’08 (International Affairs)
Founder, Green GW
Co-Captain, GW Women’s Ultimate Frisbee Team
“GW helped to prepare me for post-graduation by offering me some of the best experiences in and outside of the classroom an international politics student could ask for. A number of my professors spent their days at the Fed or the State Department, while several others urged us to visit embassies, attend lectures throughout the city, or complete an internship as part of class. I was able to not only receive a great liberal arts education but also gain a very real understanding of the American political system and the mechanics of Washington, D.C. . . In June I will head to Honolulu, Hawaii for two years to teach secondary science with Teach For America. Though I will earn a Masters in Education from University of Hawaii while doing Teach for America, I would eventually like to go to Business or Law school and work toward advancing social and environmental responsibility in international business.”

Marc Held
Lynbrook, N.Y.
GWSB BBA ’08 (International Business and Economics)
President, GW Finance and Investments Club
Member, Colonials Brass

“My fondest GW memories include: playing trumpet in the pep band in Stanford, Calif., as GW Women’s Basketball defeated Cal at the buzzer to advance to the Sweet Sixteen in March 2008; spending a semester in London with GW friends; having lunch with Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke at the White House; grilling 3,000 hamburgers for Fall Fest; Cherry Blossoms and paddle boating on the Tidal Basin; and seeing Presidents Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Jimmy Carter speak at GW...GW allowed me to study the global economy in a practical and resourceful setting and introduced me to a supportive network of alumni and financial practitioners. The university provided me the opportunity to work with students from a variety of backgrounds, prepared me for interviews, and helped me market myself. I will join Ernst & Young’s Finance & Performance Management division in New York, effective July 28, 2008, and plan to pursue a career in corporate finance.”

Sarah-Jo Lawrence
Orange, Va.
CCAS BA ’08 (Sociology and Communications)
Captain, GW Women’s Basketball Team
President, Jackie Robinson Society

“I loved the city campus, and found the possibilities Washington had to offer very exciting and intriguing. The moment I came up the Metro escalators and saw the people, the buildings, and all the excitement, I knew GW was the place I wanted to be. . .GW helped prepare me for post-graduation by giving me the opportunity to succeed both athletically and academically as well as introducing me to so many kind, helpful individuals who served as role models. GW also pushed me to hold myself to a higher standard. I plan on continuing my studies at GW through the Presidential Administrative Fellowship program, which allows selected GW seniors to obtain a masters degree while working at an administrative position within the university. I plan to major in sports management and eventually to become an athletic director or be involved in athletic administration of some sort.”

Bobby O’Brien
Merrimack, N.H.
ESIA BA ’08 (International Politics: Chinese Language and Literature)
Member, GW Rugby
Research Assistant for Political Science Professor Matthew O’Gara
“One morning sophomore year I woke up early to get some work done and went out to get a cup of coffee. While strolling down “I” street, which was literally deserted at the time, I ran into a well-dressed, well-groomed gentleman who was whistling as he walked. That gentleman turned out to be former Secretary of State Colin Powell, and I had the honor of chatting with him for a few minutes about the latest in world affairs. . . GW helped to prepare me for post-graduation by providing me with the well-rounded education and network of support necessary to compete in national fellowship competitions, successfully apply to grad school, and seek out good job opportunities. After graduation, I will be studying the implications of China’s ever-growing floating population on political stability as a Fulbright Scholar in the P.R.C.”

Casey Pond
Tigard, Ore.
ESIA, CCAS BA ’08 (International Affairs and Economics)
Vice President of Public Affairs, Student Association
President, Phi Kappa Psi
“I attended Boys Nation the summer before my senior year, and fell in love with D.C. When I stepped on the campus later that year for a tour, I knew it was where I would end up. . . GW helped to prepare me for post-graduation by providing me with a diverse environment to grow intellectually and personally. After graduation, I’m going to graduate school at the London School of Economics. My goal is to become a leader and innovator in the new international economic environment.”

Matt Wade
Troy, N.Y.
SEAS BS ’08 (Civil Engineering)
President, American Society of Civil Engineers
Captain, Steel Bridge Team
“One of my funniest GW moments was when I was almost tackled by Secret Service during one of the World Bank weekends. They thought I was taking pictures of specific people as they left the closed off area. At that time, GW students could get in because they closed off some essential parts of campus. In reality I was only taking pictures of a bare Pennsylvania Ave., which is obviously not your everyday occurrence. . . Next year, I’m getting a master’s of engineering in structural engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute; I’d like to be a structural designer. Someday I’d like to become fluent in Spanish, build something that people recognize, visit the Oval Office, and have a serious sit-down with Stephen Colbert.”

James Zarsadiaz
Walnut, Calif.
CCAS BA ’08 (American Studies and Political Science)
President, Asian Student Alliance
Founder and Chair, Multicultural Leadership Council
“I was admitted into a PhD program in U.S. History at Northwestern University. My primary research will be on postwar suburbanization, urban studies, the history of race, and Asian American Studies. After receiving my PhD (hopefully before 30!), I plan to research and teach at a four-year institution. One of my life goals is not to be rich, but to be comfortable and enjoy what I am doing at work and at play. . . I’ll miss relaxing outside on a beautiful spring day observing the things around you. It was fun to people watch, look up at the sky, admire the urban yet picturesque landscape, and run into friends passing by Kogan. The thing I’ll miss the most are the close bonds I made with friends over the years. GW is a national university, and meeting people from across the country has allowed me to open my eyes to different perspectives.”

Justin Zorn
Orlando, Fla.
ESIA BA ’08 (International Affairs: Development Studies)
Policy Chair, GWSTAND
Member, Banaa
“I’m starting in the fall as a visiting fellow at a think tank in Singapore: I’ll be researching how some Asian governments are able to plan ahead (sometimes 20 years or more), while the U.S. finds this extremely difficult to do even within a single agency. I’ll also continue writing op-eds and working on Banaa.org (a GW-launched initiative to offer full scholarships and leadership training to promising peacemakers from Sudan) . . . A “this is why I came to GW” moment would be realizing for the first time that I, a measly freshman, could get a member of Congress to co-sponsor a bill (in this case on Darfur), simply by showing up at her office and asking.”